Spring shade-roller



D E KEMPSTBR Springfihade-Roller.

No; 224,596. Patented Feb. 17, I880.-

minesses:

a to the accompanying drawings, and to letters 1 or Shade Rollers 5 and I do hereby declare that.

, proved spring curtain and shade roller.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL E. KEMPSTER,OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRI NG SHADE-ROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,596, dated February 17, 1.880.

Application filed July 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. KEMPSTER, of Boston, in the county ofSuifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Curtain the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled ilrtiie art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is toprovidea spring curtain or shaderoller whichwill lock automatically, without any manipulation whatever, by merely letting go of the shadeeither in its descent or ascent, and which will not lockif the shade is permitted to ascendslowl y under the influence of the spring. 1 i

This my invention consists 'inthe combination, witha spring curtain or shade roller, of. a frictional locking device constructed as hereinafter described, whereby the roller will be locked automatically 1 on letting go of the shade, either in its descentyor ascent, without.

any manipulation, suchas drawing the shade out atan inclination. from thewindow to en-. gage the locking device or checking therota tion of the roller and the upward movement: of the shade under the influence of the spring to cause the engagement of the locking device, and also without the rapid rotation of the shade-roller under the influence of the spring to generate centrifugal force for causing the engagementof the locking device, and which will not lock the roller when the shade is permitted to ascend slowly under the influence of On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of my im- Fig. 2 represents an end view of the roller. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent end views, showing different positions of the loose frictional locking- Q rollers. Fig. 6 represents detail perspectives of the several parts, and Fig. 7 represents modifications of each of the pieces.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a roller; B, its shade 5 G, the spring,

and D the shaft or spindle. Said shaft has an angular end, d, bywhich it is fitted fast in the bracket H, so that the roller A will revolve around it under the influence of the spring 0, theends of the latter being secured onetto the roller and the other to the shaft. Said shaft is preferably made in two sections, D and d, the section D being of wood, having a socket in its outer: end, in which the squared inner end of the section (1 fits, said socket being protected by a metallic cap, d. The section 01 is of metal, and is 'formedor or otherwise; also, a single cam and one sin" gle roller may be used, if preferred, some modifications of the parts being shown in Fig.

7, and thismay all be done without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation is substantially as follows: The parts described occupying the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, the roller will be locked. The fixed central cam-disk, E, having a cam and pocket on each side of the spindle, with a loose lockin g-roller for each pocket, the shade-roller may be placed in its brackets either side up. As shown, one locking-roller, I, remains in its pocket. 0, the other lockingroller, 1', engaging with the annular flanged disk F on one side and the fixed central camdisk, E, on the other side, thus forming africtional lock. i i To cause the shade to descend, it is merely drawn down at any desired rate of speed. If drawn down with the rapidity usually em- I I are the ployed, the locking-roller I will take the povsition shown in Fig. 4, and will have received a rotary motion from the frictional contact of the annular flanged disk F, on which it rests,

sufficient to cause it, on letting go or stopping the downward motion of the shade, to auto matically start forward and roll in between the annular flanged disk F and the convergent side of the central cam-disk, E, as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming a look without any ascension of the shade other than the more closely settling together of the frictional parts underthe influence of the spring. If the shade is drawn down slowly, the locking-roller I will take the position shown in Fig. 4, but does not have sufficient rotary motion to ascend and engage in the manner before described.

To cause the shade-roller to be locked, the shade is merelylet go. The action of the spring immediately reverses the motion of the shaderoller, and thelocking-roller I instantly engages with the convergent side of the central cam-disk, E, thus forming a frictional lock between the latter and the annular flanged disk, as shown in Fig. 3.

To wind up the shade, it is first drawn down sufficiently to release the locking-roller I from engagement, when it returns by its own gravity to :the position shown in Fig. 4. .If the shade be now permitted to slowly ascend, the locking-roller I will take the position shown in Fig. 5, being caused to ascend, and there rotate in about that position by the frictional contact ofthe revolving annular flanged disk F, its own gravity being sufficient to keep it fromengaging with the central cam-disk, E, while the shade is slowly ascendingunder the influence of the spring.

'lo lock the shade-roller upon or after the ascent of the shade, the latter is merely let go without any manipulation,.when the locking instantly occurs by the locking-roller I being drawn by the frictional contact of the annular flanged'disk F under the recoil of the spring from the position shown in Figs. 4: and 5 into the position shown in Fig. 3, which isfrom one to two twelfths of a revolution of the shaderoller and from one-quarter to one-half inch rise of the shade, according to the amount of play allowed between the two positions of the locking-roller Iin Figs. 3 and 4.

The advantage of this peculiar manner of engagement of the locking device is, first, on drawing the shade down, dispensing with the necessity of any manipulation, such as drawing the shade out at an inclination from the window to engage the locking device, or checking the rotation of the roller and the upward movement of the shade under the influence of the spring, in order to effect the engagement of the locking device; and, second, dispensing with the necessity of the rapid rotation of the shade-roller under the influence of the spring-t0 generate centrifugal force for causing the engagement of the locking device, and thus dispensing with the injurious shock on the shade-roller consequent upon the sudden stoppage of the rapid revolution of the roller, as is the case when thelocking device is caused to engage by centrifugal force.

Thus it will be seen that with my invention the locking occurs instantly and automatically on letting go of the shade, eitherin its descent or ascent. Hence the rapid rotation of the shaderoller under the influence of the spring causing the shade to fly up suddenly out of reach can never occur, as certain shades will do uponhein g drawn down and then released from the grasp without manipulation to effect the locking of the roller. This device may also be used on spring-balance shade-rollers to automatically lock the spring and roller together on the removal of the roller from its brackets, in connection with an improved friction device and the usual counterpoise, and for this kind of shade-roller will form the subject of another application for patent.

What I claim, and wish to ters Patent, is-- l. The combination, with a spring shaderoller, of a cam-disk fixed to the spindle, a frictional locking-roller, and a continuous annular flange, arranged for operation substantially as described.

2. For application to a shade-roller, A, and its spindle D, provided with a winding-spring, O, as described, the cam-disk E, fixed to the spindle d, constructed and arranged as set forth, in combination with the loose frictional locking-rollers I I, and with the continuous annular flanged disk F, all being arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. In combination with ashade-roller having a spiral spring for winding up the shade, and an annular flanged disk, F, and locking-rollers I I, a double-cam disk, E, fixed to the spindle d, and formed with two pockets,"e 6, whereby the uppermost one of the loose frictional locking-rollers I 1 will always be held out of engagement, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL E. KEMPSTER.

secure by Let- Witnesses ALBAN ANDREN, HENRY OHADBOURN. 

